Toronto Arrows Announce Lineup for 2019 Home Opener Against NOLA Gold

5 April 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – Toronto Arrows Director of Rugby Chris Silverthorn has named his starting lineup for Sunday’s home match against the NOLA Gold.

The game holds special significance for Canadian rugby; not only will it serve as Toronto’s inaugural Major League Rugby home match, but it will also mark the first-ever professional rugby union match (non-exhibition) played in Canada.

Silverthorn has made two changes to his starting squad that scored a league-record 64 points against the Utah Warriors last Sunday. Hooker Andrew Quattrin returns to the starting lineup after being declared fully fit by club medical staff, while flanker John Moonlight draws back in to feature in his second match of the season. 

The lineup for Toronto’s home opener features several Ontario-developed players: 16 of the 23 players named to the club’s matchday lineup started their rugby careers at Ontario clubs, with 11 different Ontario clubs represented. Three additional Canadian clubs are represented in the lineup, with two from British Columbia and one from New Brunswick.

“The Toronto Arrows are proud to showcase the talent that our Ontario club and university system has produced,” said Silverthorn. “Club rugby throughout Ontario – and Canada as a whole – has been the backbone of Canadian rugby, and we could not be happier to showcase our Canadian talent and compete at the top level of professional rugby in North America.”

The Arrows (4-4-0) enter the match coming off their 64-31 bonus-point victory over Utah on Mar. 30. Toronto sits sixth in the league standings with 22 points.

Fourteen full internationals have been named to Toronto’s matchday squad, carrying a combined cap total of 240 matches.

NOLA (6-2-0) head into Sunday’s game following a one-point loss to the Glendale Raptors last weekend. Despite the recent defeat, the Gold retained the top spot in the league table with 33 points.

“We can’t wait to be back home and playing in front of our fans,” added Silverthorn. “Each week, the excitement has been increasing – it’s been a date each and every one of our players and staff have looked forward to for months. Sunday’s match will be a milestone for Canadian rugby, and it’s an honour to be involved. We’re looking forward to sharing the moment with our fans, and by giving them a match to remember.”

Squad Notes:

• Oitomen is tied for the league lead in tries scored (6)
• Malcolm is tied for the league lead in points scored (88) and is ranked fourth in the league in goal kicking accuracy (82.2%)
• Ciulini is ranked eighth in the league in made tackles (102)
• Milazzo leads the league in lineout steals (5) and lineout takes (34)
• Moor is ranked ninth in the league in linebreaks (5)
• Toronto is ranked second in the league in total points scored (240) and fourth in the league in total tries scored (30)
• Thirteen squad members are full Canadian internationals: Brouwer (9 caps), Ciulini (8 caps), Dolezel (16 caps), du Toit (13 caps), Keith (12 caps), Ferguson (10 caps), Lloyd (10 caps), Mackenzie (17 caps), Moonlight (23 caps), Moor (14 caps), Rumball (29 caps), Sauder (8 caps), Sheppard (5 caps)
• One squad member is a full Uruguayan international: Mieres (66 caps)
• Twelve players selected to the starting 15 are Canadian; exceptions are Malcolm (New Zealand), Mieres (Uruguay), Mitchell (New Zealand)

Sunday’s match kicks off at 2 p.m. EDT from York Alumni Stadium in Toronto. Tickets are available for purchase online and at the gate. The game can also be watched live on GameTV and streamed live through the Arrows’ Facebook page.

Toronto Arrows Lineup vs. NOLA Gold

1. Rob Brouwer // Lindsay
2. Andrew Quattrin // Aurora Barbarians
3. Morgan Mitchell // Southland Stags (New Zealand)
4. Mike Sheppard // Stoney Creek Camels
5. Paul Ciulini // Aurora Barbarians
6. John Moonlight // Ajax Wanderers
7. Peter Milazzo // Toronto Scottish
8. Lucas Rumball (C) // Balmy Beach
9. Andrew Ferguson // Oakville Crusaders
10. Sam Malcolm // Manawatu Turbos (New Zealand)
11. Dan Moor (C) // Balmy Beach
12. Guiseppe du Toit // UVic Vikes
13. Spencer Jones // Hamilton Old Boys (New Zealand)
14. Avery Oitomen // Oakville Crusaders
15. Gaston Mieres // Lobos (Uruguay)

16. Steven Ng // Barrhaven Scottish
17. Tom Dolezel // London St. George’s
18. Cole Keith // Belleisle Rovers
19. Kolby Francis // Brantford Harlequins
20. Marcello Wainwright // Toronto Scottish
21. Jamie Mackenzie // Balmy Beach
22. Kainoa Lloyd // Mississauga Blues
23. Theo Sauder // UBC Thunderbirds

STAFF
Vice President & General Manager: Mark Winokur
Director of Rugby: Chris Silverthorn
Coaches: Aaron Carpenter, Cory Hector, Peter Smith
Performance Analyst: Rodin Lozada
Team Physicians: Dr. Anthony Dixon, Dr. Chris Gallimore, Dr. John Gillis
Athletic Therapist: Perry Fan

About Toronto Arrows Rugby Club:

The Toronto Arrows Rugby Club is Canada’s first professional rugby union team.

Competing in Major League Rugby, the team is equipped to compete against top-tier North American club teams, providing emerging Canadian talent with enhanced and more frequent opportunities to hone their skills at an elite level.

For more information, visit https://torontoarrows.com/ 

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For more information, please contact:

Brock Smith
Communications Manager
Toronto Arrows
[email protected]

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